Wednesday, July 29, 2009

KOCHI: Even as the state and the Central governments are tightening the laws on anti-ragging, yet another horrifying incident of ragging has come to light after three students of Ayyankali Memorial Sports School at Vellayani in Thiruvananthapuram escaped from the brutal assault of their senior students and reached the Ernakulam Junction railway station here on Monday.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials said that the three students of sixth and eight standard reached the Ernakulam Junction after they escaped from the hostel at Vellayani where they were locked up in a room and allegedly beaten up by their seniors.

The victims identified as Anoop of Thalayolaparambu, Ashique of Pathanamthitta and Vishnu of Koothattukulam were later handed over to their relatives at Ernakulam after the RPF informed them about the incident.

The victims told the RPF officials that they were locked up in a room at the hostel by their seniors since Sunday for complaining to the hostel warden about the seniors using mobile phones on the campus.

They added that though they apprised the hostel warden of the harassment by the seniors, the warden failed to take note of it.

The children escaped from the hostel when the seniors opened the room on Monday morning. Later, they boarded a train from Thiruvananthapuram Central to reach Anoop's house at Thalayolaparambu.

The incident came to light after a co-passenger noticed assault marks on the children's body and enquired about it. The passenger informed the matter to the RPF when the train reached Ernakulam.

The seniors who were said to have ragged the boys are Sharat, Nidhin, Abhi, Anandu and Sanand.

The RPF officials said that a case was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victims' relatives. They added that the case would be handed over to the Thiruvananthapuram police.

It's a missing case, say school authorities

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The version of the school authorities regarding the ragging incident is that the three boys were found missing since Monday morning. A section of students at the school said that the three boys had stolen their money as well as mobile phone. Another section of students said that the three boys were beaten up by senior students as part of ragging.

"We have lodged a complaint with the Thiruvallam police station regarding the missing of students.

School officials were also sent to the railway station and busstand to trace the students," said a school official.